New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone believes final week of season an opportunity for young prospects: "We have a lot to play for and a lot to prove"

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is choosing to look at the glass as half full. Despite a strong September, the Yankees are officially out of playoff contention. The Bronx Bombers will miss out on the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The sixth-year manager, however, feels there is still a lot to play for over the final week of the season.

Per a recent article in the New York Post, Boone spoke about finishing the season strong. He also believes that the final stretch of the season is a great opportunity to evaluate some of the team's young talent, and an opportunity for them to gain some valuable experience.

"Even though we’re out of it now, we have a lot to play for and a lot to prove over this final week of the season," said Boone.

A 7-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday officially closed out a disappointing season for the Yankees.

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The Yankees are currently fourth in the American League East with an 80-77 record and trail the first-place Baltimore Orioles by 18 games. They are 5.5 games out of the final wild card spot with just five games remaining in the year.

Aaron Boone's New York Yankees have turned their young prospects to close out the season

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone walks back to the dugout against the Arizona Diamondbacks

The Yankees decided to give some of their younger players a chance during the final stretch of the season and the results have been better than expected. The team is 14-8 in the month of September and has improved to a record above .500.

Oswaldo Cabrera (24), Oswald Peraza (23), Everson Pereira (22), Austin Wells (24), Ben Rortvedt (26) and Jasson Dominguez (20) have all been given an opportunity this month.

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The club also has rising stars like Anthony Volpe (22) and Jhony Britto (25) on the roster.

There is plenty of young talent in this New York Yankees roster and Boone is using the final week of the season to evaluate his prospects. The club will now focus on regrouping and rebuilding for 2024.